Strangers' kindness ignites hope for family of terminally ill 6-year-old battling epilepsy

There are no restrictions when it comes to helping someone. Even as strangers, there is a lot people can do for those in need. All they have to do is try. When Justin and Ashlee Wallace, parents of 6-year-old Audrey Wallace, had their burdens painfully increased, it was the selflessness and kindness of strangers that came to their rescue, reports ABC News. The little girl had been diagnosed with epilepsy and had been undergoing treatment via palliative care. Her condition made it difficult for her parents to know how much time they had together. Since then, the family has been making excruciating efforts to make life as memorable and meaningful as possible for their daughter.

Unfortunately, Audrey suffered from pneumonia recently and her condition got worse. The girl was restricted to her wheelchair, needed constant treatment and care, couldn’t swallow food and had several painful dilemmas. With constant seizures to add to her condition, hopes were bleak for her parents. An added heartbreaking fact was that the parents were unable to acquire housing that could accommodate the special needs of the child. Their home wasn’t wheelchair accessible, the hallways were narrow and the doctors had advised the parents against traveling with Audrey in a car that wasn’t wheelchair accessible, reported Good News Network. It made things more risky for Audrey’s health.

Though the family was entitled to get help from various authorities, it took them much time, documentation and procedures to help the girl whose condition was rapidly deteriorating. The family needed a “proactive” approach over a “reactive” one and required someone to miraculously come forward out of empathy. That’s when a couple, Donna Moore and Erica Breitzke, living a few hours away from Audrey’s home, heard her story and contacted her parents. To their fate, the couple owned a wheelchair-accessible van and were looking to sell the same. However, they went one step further and loaned it to the family.

“I had epilepsy as a child, so it kind of resonated with me as well,” Moore said. For the couple, the act was nothing but a need to be kind and reach out, especially since they could. However, for Audrey and her parents, it was hope at the end of a dark tunnel. “It’s going to open up so much freedom, just being able to do normal things like take her out to the shops,” Ashlee said. She added that having the wheelchair allows the family, especially Audrey, to “get a part of her life back.” Things are picking up further for the family.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) took some time but was able to review and approve disability-accessible housing for the family. “The NDIS has also approved 24-hour nursing care for Audrey,” Ashlee said. Sharing a note of gratitude, she added, “I just want to say thank you for everything and to everyone who has reached out to support us. I’m just so appreciative of the amazing community that we have here in Australia.” The parents have a weight lifted off their shoulders and are beyond grateful that they can “sit back and be parents” for their kids instead of being on the clock all the time.